Div3 Camogie Feile, hosted by OP/ER

The joint leaders of
Div 3 in the u14 league, met early on Saturday morning 26/4 at the ballast pit
for their journey to the Navan road to partake with another 7 clubs in the div3
Dublin Camogie Feile. All were raring to go, and full of confidence from our
league performances ytd. We put the call out for a gazebo, so we could set up
base by Pitch1 were we were to play all 3 group games. Wally McMahon (member of
the famous minor football team from 25 yrs ago, sorry wally) came up trumps,
and pitched the family Tent for us. This was a godsend on a wet and blustery
day, as it enabled us protect the multitude of goodies/food that the ladies u14
camogie committee organised, spearheaded by Emer Corcoran, Linda O’Mahony &
Paula Hanratty.

The 1st match was against the hosts, who actually compete at
u15. It was a very tight game, with the nerves definitely showing, more so on
the mentors and supporters faces. It ended 0-2 to 0-1 for OP/ER. Not a
disaster, as they had beaten us in 2013, and all we now needed was to win the
next 2 games to progress to the semi-finals.

With 50 minutes to the next game, we got sustenance into the
girls, a light warm up, and took to the field against NH Peregrines. They had
some skill full players, and it was a ding dong battle, with a draw being the
end result 3-0 to peregrines 1-6.

Management were a bit at odds as to we’re we now lay, but as
score difference wasn’t the arbiter, if we won our last game v’s Bray Emmet's we
would meet NH Peregrine again in a playoff for the semi-final, if they lost to
OP/ER. CONFUSED? So were we!

Anyhow, all guns blazing, and with plenty of protein &
carbs inside them, we sprinted to a 3-0 to 0-0 lead at halftime of the final
group game. All was good in the camp.

2nd half started, the rain bellowed down, with a strong wind
into our faces. Their talented centre half back sent 2 long range rockets into
the back of the net, and with 5 minutes to go, the big skerries support were
starting to get nervous. Jason Herbert confirmed that NH peregrines were being
beaten by OP/ER, so if we could hold out for the final 4 minutes, we were into
a playoff.

Unfortunately, and as much as the girls tried, the driving
wind, and long day couldn’t stop peregrines scoring the equaliser with 2
minutes to go. The Harps girls tried in vain in those last few moments to get
the winner, but it wasn’t to be our day.

We now need to lift ourselves up, as we have a cup final league
game against Ballyboden St. Endas to decide winners/runners up Saturday week.

It was an amazing
experience for the girls and supporters, as OP/ER put on a royal show. Many
thanks must go to them, in hosting 8 clubs! And making the day so memorable.
Their famous son, Alan Brogan, was there to watch his relative play.

Thank you to the many supporters; the Hanrattys, the
O’Mahony’s, the McMahon’s, the Ensors, the Corcorans, the Herberts, the
O’Connor Flanagans, the Murphys, the McNicholas’s, the Buckley’s, the Beggs
& Leneghans. Not to mention Peter Farmer and Denis Murphy.